In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, thousands of children across the Midwest came together on January 28 to pray the World Mission Rosary via Zoom. Organized by the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, this prayer initiative united students from 77 Catholic elementary schools across 14 dioceses, fostering a spirit of global solidarity and missionary discipleship.
Catholic Schools Week highlights the value of Catholic education and its contributions to the Church, local communities, and the nation. Against this backdrop, the online World Mission Rosary offered children a chance to reflect on the realities of millions of their peers around the world who lack access to basic education.
“As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, we wanted to give students the opportunity to reflect not only on their own blessings but also on the challenges faced by millions of their peers across the globe who do not have the chance to attend school,” said Monsignor Roger J. Landry, National Director of The Pontifical Mission Societies USA. “During this Jubilee of Hope, we thought it important to bring children together to pray and to learn about the different realities their fellow students face in Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, and Latin America, inspired by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s invitation to pray to Mary, Mother of God, for her intercession.”
Archbishop Sheen created the World Mission Rosary in 1951, during his tenure as National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, another of the four Pontifical Mission Societies. Each decade of the World Mission Rosary represents a different region of the world where missionaries continue to share the Gospel: green for the forests and grasslands of Africa, blue for the ocean surrounding the Pacific Islands, white for Europe, home of the Holy Father, red for the fire of faith that brought missionaries to the Americas, and yellow for the morning light of the East, symbolizing Asia.
“The Missionary Childhood Association is built on the principle of ‘children helping children,’ teaching them that through prayer and support, they can make a difference in each other’s lives,” said Alixandra Holdren, director of MCA. “We hoped children, along with their teachers and non-teaching staff, would be inspired by the Holy Spirit to find new ways to help others and live our faith in the knowledge that as children of God, we are all brothers and sisters.”
Karissa Flieth, Trinity Elementary Principal and Curriculum Coordinator in the Diocese of Bismarck, ND, said: “We’re thrilled to be part of this special event! Each year, we gift the World Mission Rosary to our second-grade students as part of their sacramental preparation. This event was a wonderful opportunity for them to use their rosaries while connecting with children across the country.”
The 14 dioceses that participated in the event include: Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Diocese of Columbus, Diocese of Des Moines, Diocese of Fargo, Diocese of Grand Rapids, Diocese of Jefferson City, Diocese of Joliet, Diocese of Madison, Diocese of Marquette, Diocese of Peoria, Diocese of Salina, Diocese of Sioux City, and Diocese of Springfield.
About The Pontifical Mission Societies USA
The Pontifical Mission Societies USA comprises the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Missionary Childhood Association, the Society of St. Peter Apostle, and the Missionary Union. All are dedicated to fostering a universal missionary spirit among all baptized Catholics through prayer and sacrifice.
In 2024, The Pontifical Mission Societies’ global fund supported:
- 2,710 projects for children’s education,
- Formation for 74,080 seminarians and 6,310 novices,
- Subsidies to 940 dioceses where the Church is too young, poor, or persecuted to be self-reliant,
- Construction of 751 new churches across five continents.
About the Missionary Childhood Association
The Missionary Childhood Association was founded by French Bishop Charles Forbin Janson in 1843, inspired by Blessed Pauline Jaricot, foundress of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and her initiative to help missionaries by asking friends to pray daily and donate a penny a week. Bishop Forbin Janson sought to involve children in France by asking them to help children in China.
The MCA program serves schools and religious education programs throughout the United States, fostering in children a missionary spirit and leadership that motivates them to share their faith and material goods with other children. Once a year, through the Mite Box program, children are encouraged throughout the academic year by praying for and donating to the children in mission territories.
